Theft from large companies is continually hitting the headlines. Card issuing companies are beginning to demand more from ecommerce merchants, large and small, to ensure that their sites and telecommunication procedures are secure. This is because if you don’t secure your customer’s sensitive card data you will be hit with a whopping fine of up to £300,000*. Using a PCI compliant system (also known as Payment Card Industry) is a necessity for any business.

PCI is a secure process for transactions on credit/debit/visa/master cards, etc. It will give your organisation peace of mind on any procedures involving credit card information over the internet or phone. It also builds confidence among your members and clients, knowing they are in safe hands when they provide information to your business.

Benefits of having a PCI Compliant system

Card data is now more valuable than ever, that’s why it’s crucial to have a CardGuard to protect transactions.  A CardGaurd can offer your business the following benefits:

  • Giving you peace of mind for your business and clients
  • Reduced risk of security breaches
  • A boost in customer confidence
  • Protection from costly fines
  • Relatively quick and easy process
  • Safeguard your business reputation and keep a professional image
  • Easy implementation

The reputation of your company depends upon how customers perceive you. So if your business gains bad publicity for card data fraud, you could face a serious loss of business.

How CardGuard works

CardGuard is completely PCI compliant and there is no need for additional staff training or handling of sensitive data. This is how CardGuard works:

  • The customer phones your call centre to make a payment
  • The agent has the payment verification screen open in CardGuard mode
  • The customer is asked to enter their card details into the telephone keypad
  • CardGuard hides the card numbers on the payment screen so they cannot be seen
  • CardGuard masks the DTMF² so the numbers tones cannot be heard
  • With CardGuard in place, no card details are spoken

CardGuard not only masks the dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) but also masks the numbers on the payment screen.

Why the need for PCI Compliance and PCI DSS

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Standard Security. At the end of 2004, Visa and MasterCard aligned to improve card security at an industry level and created the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, soon joined by other major brands such as American Express. Being PCI Compliant as it is called, is mandatory and applies to all commercial operations that store, process or transmit cardholder data both manually and electronically.


For more information on the above, please contact us today and our friendly, professional staff will be happy to answer or provide solutions for you.